Fluid-tight joint for rotary shafts.



` PATENTBD MAR. 19, 1907. B. vM. 'WfHANSODL FLUIDV TIGHT JOINT'FOR ROTARY SH'AFTS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 21, 1905.

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y112,143NGT M W. HANsoN, or HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, AssroNoR To PRATT xfawnirNnY COMPANY, or RARrroRn, CONNECTICUT, A CoRPoRArroN "or New JERSEY;

Application filed November 21, 1905, Serial No. 288,427.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 19, 1907.

Hartford and vState of Connecticut, have invented ycertain new and useful Improve-` ments in Fluid-Tight Joints for ltotary Shafts, of which'the following is a specification,-

Thisinvention'relates to means for 'supplying Huid to clutches, and while shown em-` ployed with the form of clutch covered by my application filed in the United States Patent Office March 3, 1905, Serial No.

248,123 1f, to which referencemay be had, is' not limited thereto.

In-prior' constructions known to me leakage frequently occurs atthe joints where the Huid enters the passage leading to the movablemember4 of theclutch, and as said ypassages are formed in a rotary shaft it is necessary to'connect the supply-conduitsto said shaft in such a way that a fluid-tight connection will be yformed.

Primarily the object of my invention is the provision of a joint of improved construction for ,connecting the supply-conduits to the shaft.v

' Other objects of the invention will be s et forth in the following description.

In vthe accom anying drawing, the. figure is a longitudina vertical section of the form of .clutch with which the invention is shown employed.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a 4driving-shaft, and 2.a driven shaft, both to be` journaled in framework of any desired kind. Upon the shaft 1 is keyed or'otherwise rigidly fastened'a sleeve 3, carrying at one end a large ear 4 and at its op'.-y

posite' extremity av sma' ler gear 5. It 1s, owever, immaterial whether the gears'4 and 5 form art of a sleeve, as shown, or are connected 1n other ways to the shaft 1.

Keyed'to the driven shaft 2 are bushings 6 6',having flanged inner e'nds'62 63, and upon -the bushing 6 isloosely mounted a large gear 7 in engagement with the small gear 5 of shaft 1, While on'y the lbushing 6 is also loosely mounted a smaller gear 8 in engagement with the large gear 4 of the shaft 1. Collarsl 9 and 10 on the shaft prevent displacement of the ear-wheels 7 and 8, and said collars are hel in placeby nuts 11 and 12', engaging threaded parts 13 and 14 of said shaft;

Rigid withV the shaft intermediate the iianged inner endsY of the bushinffs'is acarbeing circumferentially grooved at 15',` respectively, to form assage-Ways-for iuid under pressure, as ereinafter described. Leading from said grooves are. chambers 16 16', respectively, and in the body ofthe disk 15 are passages 17 17', respectively,

communicating' with saidl chambers, registering With passages v18 18' inthe shaft -2 and o ening into a longitudinal bore 19 thereof. C amping-rings .20 21, having circumferen- 'tial anges 20" 21', are secured to the c arrier 15 by screw-bolts 22. Disks. or diaphragms 23- 23' of leatherv or other suitable material are clamped' to the clutch-disk or carrier 15 by the iianges 21'. l

To receive the flange 62 of bushin 6, the gear-wheel 7 is grooved on its inner si e, as at 7", yand* .this results 'in an overhangingstraight circumferential bearing-face 24g having, lpreferably, rounded ends 24' ;l Against sald carine-face 24 the disk 23 is forced by 4rier or clutch-'disk 15, lthe sides of said carrier j the fluid when admitted through the cham- `ber 16 and .conduits `v17 18, as will be hereinafter described.

Like vgear-wheel 7, the gear-wheel 8 is provided With a groove 8' to receive the Bange 63' of Abushing 6'- 'and' is provided with a straight bearing-face 25, having rounded ends 25', said bearing-face being engaged bv l the disk 23' when fluid under pressure is admitted to the chamber 16' through the passages .7' 18'.

vl-Eac disk 23 23 is clam ed against an inclined bearing-face 26 of t e circumferential lian es 20' 21', the result being that the diskis p aced under tension and normally tends to spring inward and assume a bowed formwhen not in contact with the bearing-face of the gear-wheel with which it cooperates', as shown by the disk 23' at the right of 'carrier 15. Vhen, however, ressure is `applied to either disk, it is `straig tened with a togglelike action "and is forced snugly into contact roo yto the passages 17 17 and chambers 16 16 IOv fio 43. end 29, and a split nut 45 engagesthe exterwith the bearing-face of the gear-wheel, thereby locking said gear-wheel to the carrier 15. Cutting and fracture of the disks are prevented by the rounded corners of the i bearing-faces, and a full flat bearing of the disk against its bearing-lace is the result of the construction above described.

For delivering motive fluid under pressure any desired connections may be employed, and I have shown for this purpose a bore 19 in shaft 2 communicating with the passage 18 and a tube 28 inserted in said bere and having a port 28 registering with the passage 18. This tube terminates in a head 282, located intermediate the ports hereinafter described.

Keyed to the shaft 2 and mounted on a reduced end 29 thereof is a collar 30, and. adjacent to said collar and loose en the shaft is an annulus 31, having a circumferential groove 32 in its inner wall. For supplying luid to said groove a pipe 33 is 'threaded inte the` annulus and communicates with the groove thereof, a port 34 constituting a passage from the groove to the bore 1Q of the shaft 2 and said pipe locking the annuhis against rotation with the shaft. Mounted en the shaft 2 adjacent te the outer side ef the annulus 31 is a hardened collar 35, said cellar beingattached to the shaft by a plug 36, driven to its Werk by a screw 37. Loose en the shaft at the outer side ef the cellar 35 is a second annulus 38, greoved at 38 toform a' circumferential passage communicating with a port 39 of said shaft. A supply-pipe 4() enters the annulus 38, holds said annulus against rotation, and communicates with the port 39 thereof.

At its end the reduced part 29 of the shaft 2 is internally threaded at 41 to receive a screw-plug 42 and is externally threaded at A washer 44 is mounted on said reduced nal thread 43 and bears against said washer. A Frein vwhat has been stated it will be seen that a chamber is formed in the shaft 2 between the inner end ef the plug 42 and the head 282 of tube 28 and that fluid from the asse-ge 38" ef annulus 38' will enter port 39 eading te said chamber, pass through the tube 28 and passages 18', 1'7, and 16', and will force the diaphragm against the clutchface 25, tl'iereby locking the carrier 15 rigid with shaft 2 te the gear 8 and rotating the. y said shaft at a certain speed. l 'Willen it is desirable te drive the shaft 2 at a different speed, fluid is shut eff vfrom conduit 40 by suitable valve mechanism (not shown) and is turned inte pipe 33, thuspermitting the diaphragm 23 to assume its normal bowed or buckled ferm and releasing the gear 8, which will then rotate idly en the bushing 6. As the fluid leaves pipe 33 it enters groove 32 of annulus 31, the bere 19 ef vconstruction shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The comblnatimi, with a rotary shafil having a longitudinal bore, and a )ort and a passage communicating with said ore, of an annulus surrounding the shaft, and having a passage leading to said port; a fluid-supply conduit' engaging the anuulus and'in communication with the passage thereof, a washer rigid with the shaft, and engaging one side of the annulus, a collar rigid with the shaft and engaging the other side of the annulus; and a clutch actuated by lluid delivered from the passage leading to the bore of the slin"'t.

The combination, with a tubular shaft having ports and passages, ef rings loose pn the shaft, and each hinting a eircumferexitra] passage communicatiug with the port :it the shaft; conduits for supplying fluid .nde

pressure to said rings; a tube within the shaft, and having a port in communication with the circumferential passage of one of the rings; clutch-surfaces controlled by the fluid received from the shaft andtube; and a collar rigidly secured to the shaft, and covering the inner opposing sides of the rings.

3. The combinatimi, with a rotary shaft having a longitudinalv bore, and passages leading from said bere, of a pair of rings mounted on said shaft, each of said rings havii'ig a circumferential passage; a collar rigid with the shaft, and located between the rings 5 means f er forcing the cellar and ringslongitudinally ef'the shaft to thus folm a fluid-tightjoint between the parts; and fluidsupply conduits entering the rings and preventing said rings from rotation on the shaft.

4. The comljrination, with a rotary shaft 'having a longitudinal bore, of a pair of inter."V

nally-greoved rings mounted on the shaft fluid-supply conduits entering the ringsand preventing Lem frein rotat ier wit h the shaft, said coiziduits communicating with the passages in said rings; a collar rigid. with the shaft located between the rings, and bearing at its sides against said rings; a nut t hrcaded uponthc shaft; and a vasher intermediate said nut ai' d one of t he rings.

A fluid-tight. joint for a tubular and rotary shaft comprising a pair of internallygrooved rings; means for supj'ilying fluid te EGO seid rings; a yvasherlocated ,beluvveen the In testimony :whereof I a'HX my sigoare rmgs and bem-m agamst the opposing sides l in presence of two Witnesses.' thereof; a, secon Washer bearmg against the side of one of the'rings a nutl threaded upon V BENGT M' W HANSON' the shaft, and in lenigagement with said secl Witnesses:`

ond washer; and a -screw-glug 4-tapped into j GEO; H. HOLDEN,

the'shaftat'the extremityt ereof. KATHRYN T. M. OCONNELL. 

